Explore LGBTQI+ individual personal histories from the late-nineteenth century to the present day

Sex & Sexuality Module II: Self-Expression, Community and Identity is truly global in nature and draws on material from renowned archives such as ONE Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries, The National Archives, UK, Rare Books & Special Collection Library at University of Sydney, and The Keep, University of Sussex, among others.

While Module I focused on sexologists and the work of the Kinsey Institute, Module II features a wide variety of personal papers and organizational records through which to explore the history of human sexuality from the perspective of the individual and wider community from the grassroots level.

One of the personal stories included within the collection is that of Anne Lister, a historical lesbian figure who recently gained notoriety through the BBC drama series, Gentleman Jack. Throughout her life, Lister was a prolific diarist filling some 27 volumes (equating to roughly 7,700 pages or 5 million words). These diaries, kept from the age of 15 until her death, documented her travel adventures, business endeavors and personal relationships, and provide a unique way of researching changing societal attitudes to gender, class, and sexuality in the early nineteenth century.

“Anne’s is just one of the fascinating stories found within Sex & Sexuality Module II. The collection also provides a wealth of material from grass-roots organizations and personal stories of LGBTQI+ activism. The official records of pressure groups and community organizations, diaries and correspondence, photographs, objects, erotic fiction, papers of noted sexologist, and more, sourced from archives in the US, UK, and Australia can be used as a lens through which to view changing attitudes around the world from the nineteenth century to the modern-day,” says Hannah Phillips, Head of Editorial Production at Adam Matthew Digital.

Alongside the personal histories and stories, key themes covered in Module II include community organization and activism, LGBTQI+ liberation movement, published and amateur erotica, sex education and public health policies, and the HIV/AIDs pandemic.

To find out more about Sex & Sexuality, or to arrange a free trial, visit the product page.